1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus performing character region identification on image data by removing isolated point noise in an image, an image processing method, and a computer readable medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there exists a system in which a paper document is read by a scanner, the read image data is input to a host computer, and the input data (copy image) undergoes page handling and is printed.
In recent years, a document processed in a host computer is often handed over as electronic data, although it is still often handed over as a paper document.
However, when a document is handed over as a paper document, it has to be read by a scanner, and unfortunately, isolated point noise such as a black point appears on the read image data.
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-253257, in character region identification, in a part that is not determined as an isolated point as a result of filter processing for edge reinforcement, data subjected to edge reinforcement is selected, while in a part that is determined as an isolated point, data not subjected to edge reinforcement is selected. In short, such a technique has been employed in that isolated point noise is removed based on the result of filter processing for edge reinforcement.
However, in the conventional technique, a part that is an isolated point is not completely equivalent to the result of filter processing for edge reinforcement, and thus isolated point noise cannot be removed completely.